Independents unite for health centre pharmacy
Three independent community pharmacists, based on the
Wirral, Merseyside, have united to move into a pharmacy at a new health
centre. This has allowed them to expand their professional roles.
Andrew Weinronk told The Journal that when
two of the three doctors’ practices in Eastham first proposed to move
into a new health centre there were six pharmacies in the area: three
multiples, and one owned by Mr Weinronk and two owned by David and Barbara
Dudley. The three independents formed a collaboration to bid to operate
the new pharmacy which would serve 10 GPs.
“The threat was that if none of us got it we could
all have been out of business. We are like-minded people and we could
see that we could make the new pharmacy into a profitable business and
provide new pharmacy services from a modern setting,” Mr Weinronk said.
Having secured the pharmacy contract, the partners
designed the new pharmacy to speed up the flow of customers into and out
of the store. “This lets us get on with our counselling and other work,”
he said. They were given help by independent regional wholesaler Mawdsley-Brooks
& Co with the pharmacy design and fitting and with extended credit
at the time of the move.
On 14 May Mr Weinronk’s pharmacy merged with one
of the two pharmacies owned by Mr and Mrs Dudley and relocated into the
Tree Tops health centre. The third pharmacy remains open under the management
of Mrs Dudley.
Mr Weinronk said that one of the benefits of having
two pharmacists regularly working in the pharmacy was the ability to offer
extended opening hours and still have time for other professional services.
Mr Weinronk was recently appointed to the executive committee of Bebbington
and West Wirral Primary Care Trust, a position that was made available
as a result of pressure by the local pharmaceutical committee.
Back to Top
|
